​Vietnamese president begins state visit to India

Vietnamese State President Tran Dai Quang arrived in New Delhi late Friday with his spouse and a high-ranking delegation of Vietnam, commencing a three-day state visit to India.

The Vietnamese leader was welcomed at Palam military airport by India’s Union Minister of State for Defence Subhash Ramrao Bhamre and representatives of the Indian Ministry of External Affairs, and staff of the Vietnamese Embassy in the country, the Vietnam News Agency reported on Saturday.

Prior to the New Delhi arrival, President Quang visited Bodh Gaya city in the state of Bihar on the morning the same day, the first destination in his tour of India.

The Vietnamese leader’s visit, made at the invitation of Indian President Ram Nath Kovind, takes place at a time when Vietnam – India traditional friendship and multifaceted cooperation have been developing extensively, according to the Vietnam News Agency.

The two countries established a bilateral strategic partnership in 2007 and elevated the ties to comprehensive strategic partnership in 2016.

The visit affirms Vietnam’s consistent external policy of independence, self-reliance, multilateralization and diversification of foreign relations, including the friendship with India.

It is also expected to help promote cooperation between the two countries, while deepening ties in national defence and security, Vietnamese Ambassador to India Ton Sinh Thanh told the Vietnam News Agency late last month.

The visit will also expand bilateral collaboration in economy, investment, tourism, cultural exchange and better tap potential for cooperation in education and technology, and marks a new and important milestone in bilateral cooperation, according to the diplomat.

This is the first visit to India by a Vietnamese president following the visit by then President Truong Tan Sang in 2011.

“The visit demonstrates the importance Vietnamese leaders have attached to India and their attention to Vietnam-India relations,” the ambassador underlined.

Many sewers along the streets in Ho Chi Minh City have their entrances blocked by garbage on a regular basis, negatively impacting urban esthetics and the environment while helping cause serious flooding.

Despite the sweltering weather in Hanoi these days, many young people still flock to lotus ponds surrounding the capital city’s iconic Ho Tay (West Lake) to pose for Instgram-ready photos with a sea of blooming flowers.